Congratulations on the success of your under-sink composting ventures! Your color-coded recycling bins mark you as a real 21st century environmentalist. But what else could you be doing?
We work in the party business. Sometimes party culture isn’t very green-friendly (think Solo cups at house parties–eek!).
Lucky for us, Snoqualmie Vineyards, located just 2.5 hours outside of Seattle, takes sustainability really seriously. Here at Greenvelope, we’re always looking to support local businesses, especially ones that consider the Earth and our beautiful state.
Snoqualmie has been green since way before it was cool (since 1983!). They use recycled bottles, earth-friendly corks, a gray-water recycling system, and agricultural practices that protect native plants. Even their grapes are certified organic!
“Great wines are about understanding when to relinquish control to Mother Nature; we can do little to improve her bounty. I think trying to let the fruit come through in the wine without doing extra magic or processing is the best way to showcase each varietal.”
Joy Andersen, Winemaker
So next time you Seattleites are looking for local drinks for a party, consider Snoqualmie’s many wine varietals. Don’t fret, non-Seattleites! You can buy their wines online.
Check out our entertaining collection to get inspired for your next gathering!
We read an article about a professional Portland, OR couple building a teeny tiny house in the city. While we like Earthships and Tumbleweeds, we like living in the city too. We wondered: is there a way to take the practical elements of these itty bitty homes and incorporate them into apartment life? read more…
Everyone loves almond butter. After you’ve finished scraping the edges of the jar for your wheat toast and blueberry jam, you just toss the jar in the recycling bin and call it a day, right? Wrong. Glass jars are the perfect repurposed solution to home organizing!
We like things that are utilitarian and cute (not to mention environmentally-friendly). Go get a jar of almond butter and get started! There are about a million other ideas that we missed, so feel free to get creative!
Every now and again the Greenvelope team enjoys a company lunch together. One of our favorite Seattle spots is the newest downtown location of  Homegrown. Homegrown is a specialty sandwich shop started by a native Seattle duo, Brad and Ben (big time sammie guys). They’ve created a brand dedicated to bringing their customers the best ingredients that Washington has to offer. Homegrown sources local,  organic and sustainable ingredients whenever possible, and are always keen on creating the best seasonal faire. One of our favorite aspects of Homegrown’s commitment to sustainable food systems is their transparency. Not only do they show customers that they mean what they say, but they provide people with the resources and thought-provoking ideas to help people apply these concepts to the way they look about food all the time. Clearly, we’re in love. Congratulations to this awesome Seattle company who just opened their fifth location today!
Every new employee at Greenvelope is asked to read Delivering Happiness by the CEO of Zappos.com, Tony Hsieh.  Delivering Happiness illustrates the importance of good customer service and a defining a company culture. If you have ever ordered something on Zappos, then you know first hand how they go the extra mile for their customers!
“Your personal core values define who you are, and a company’s core values ultimately define the company’s character and brand. For individuals, character is destiny. For organizations, culture is destiny.”
― Tony Hsieh, Delivering Happiness
After moving back to my hometown of Seattle in 2012 to pursue Greenvelope full time, I set up a “home office” to tackle the next growth stage of Greenvelope. At that time, all my employees worked remotely so I did not initially see the value of moving to my own office space. I loved the home office lifestyle (no traffic, no added costs, no dress clothes, etc), but I didn’t know what I was missing…
